In manufacturing an electronic device such as, for example, a semiconductor device, a plasma processing may be performed on an object to be processed (“processing target object”). In the plasma processing, a plasma processing apparatus is used. The plasma processing apparatus generally includes a placing table within a processing container. The placing table is configured to place a processing target object thereon. The placing table may include an electrostatic chuck configured to attract the processing target object by an electrostatic force.
The electrostatic chuck may have a dot structure on the surface thereof. That is, this type of electrostatic chuck has a surface constituted by a bottom face, and a plurality of projecting portions protruding from the bottom face. Such a dot structure is formed by, for example, a blast treatment. Accordingly, the side face of the dot structure and the bottom face around the side face may become fractured surfaces from which particles are likely to occur, thereby generating particles.
There is known a method of forming a surface of an electrostatic chuck by using a polycrystalline substance of, for example, yttrium oxide (hereinafter, also referred to as yttria (Y2O3)) which is excellent in a plasma resistance in order to suppress, for example, particles from occurring due to such a dot structure (See, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2008-160093 and 2007-173596).